The old Beckenham Hospital, in Greater London, had been a traditional red brick building, with high patterned wooden gables and decorative brickwork. A distinctive feature of the original Cottage Hospital was echoed in the frame design of the heritage displays to resemble the ornate gables of the old hospital buildings; the words Beckenham Hospital picked out to look like dark grey bricks.

We were commissioned to keep alive the memories of the Beckenham Hospital when all facilites were to be moved to a new health 'one stop shop'. The hospital had been significant, particularly when the area was bombed heavily during the Second World War.

Josie Aston, the arts coordinator, set up a group to document the history of the hospital from its 19th century cottage hospital days to the present. The curator at the local museum, a radiologist on the hospital staff who keeps an archive of local historical material, and current and retired staff contributed, as did members of the public and ArtsEnhance's volunteers.

We designed four murals separated chronologically and colour coded. Spaced along the hospitals' main corridor the wooden frames had to have just enough 'give' to allow the panels to flex and fit flush to the corridors curving walls.

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"I first encountered Hospital Art Studio while working for Tonic, the arts programme at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. The historical panels they had designed for various hospital sites in Leeds were so colourful and immediately caught my eye when I visited the different buildings.

The panels were funded through donations to Bromley Hospitals' charitable funds (Beckenham Fund) and we also received donations from the local NADFAS and from Thackray Williams, a local firm of solicitors.

The panels were installed in November 2007 and have already proved to be one of the most successful projects ArtsEnhance has done. They are located in a circulation corridor between the main entrance to the building and Outpatients and give pleasure to the many people who use the corridor each day as well as providing a splash of colour and interest in a clinical building."

Josie Aston, Arts Coordinator, ArtsEnhance

"I was able to see the history panels in Beckenham Beacon this week and they are absolutely wonderful. Congratulations on your vision and drive to carry it through. What a landmark in the hospital and they will be there for ever."

Pamela Osborn (former Beckenham Bunny)